Stand Inside Your Love
by seasonofthepumpkin
Summary: And for the last time, who wouldn't be the one you love? Vincent attempts to tell Lucrecia of his feelings for her.


The rain came gently, pattering down the roof like the

soft feet of a cat. Darkness playfully hid about

the mansion, skittering away wherever

the soft illumination of one of the many antiquated

lamps fell upon it. The stairs creaked their response.

The man felt his heart leap into his

throat the minute she walked in. It could not be

helped. No amount of careful preparation

could make this any easier, make rejection any

less painful.

The time was right. It was now or never.

His silence, the blankness of his pages would

never win her over. As sadly comforting

as knowing that a clean piece of paper

could never be rejected, he would have

to take the chance of marring the void

in hopes that doing so would make her understand

how he felt.

"You look as if you're not feeling well,

Vincent. Is something the matter?" She set the glass

of water she had come down to get and

gently touched her friend's elbow, a

slight crease of worry marking her brow.

He jerked slightly at her touch, his heart

lodged deeper in his throat than ever.

"No...! I-I'm perfectly fine..." He stammered,

cursing his inability to play it cool in this situation

when he'd always prided himself on his level head

and quick thinking. Such was love.

She raised an eyebrow suspiciously, his denial not

being very believable. "Are you certain? I mean,

you really look like you should go and lie down or

something. You look positively ill."

"I-I'm fine, okay!" He blurted out, a look of horror

crossing his face simultaneously. Oh God. He should

have just kept the slate blank. It seemed the

more he opened his mouth, the deeper his foot

became entrenched.

"Well... if you say so." She replied, clearly befuddled

by his actions and a bit taken back by his words. She

picked up her glass and turned to leave when he took her

hand.

"No... Lucrecia... I... what I meant to say was...

I mean..." He faltered, feeling like the biggest fool

in the world standing here holding the hand of the

woman he was so very desperately in love with that

he could not even form a complete sentence.

What had ever made him think this was a good idea?

Now she would just think he was insane, some demented

little moth blinded by her light. He had been such a fool.

No words could tell her how he felt about her. And so,

his heart still pounding away at a frantic coda,

he bent his head and

kissed her hand gently.

"Lucrecia... I just...I think that... we might be

good together... No, I know we would. It feels like

destiny brought us together, to be here right now.

Like we were meant to be, even though I know this

must sound like pure lunacy to you." He had paused to

get her reaction, but too frightened to stop he

continued

pouring his heart out.

"I know it seems impossible and pure folly, but

I really feel that we were meant to be.

You're everything that I want and all that I've

asked for; you're all that I dream about.

You're absolutely perfect, I mean, who :wouldn't:

want to be the one you love?" He grasped her hand

tighter, the intensity of his words bleeding out of

him like a mortal wound. He had to

finish. He had to tell her exactly how he felt,

lay everything out on the table right now

before it was too late.

"Everything about you is beautiful, Lucrecia. Your

heart, your soul, your mind. Everything you are

is everything I want." Just being near her made

him feel that everything was simpler, everything

was right with the world.

She was so amazing he knew he would

do anything for her, without question, even

be able to watch her walk away and he would

still love her forever.

Even the possibility of rejection didn't

frighten him anymore. No, he would simply

live and breathe for them both, her home would

always be inside his heart.

And knowing this gave him the courage to finally

finish.

"I don't know if you understand me, or if

I've frightened you, Lucrecia. If I have, I'm

most sorry. I mean no harm.

But this is how I feel." He planted a last kiss on

her soft hand and released it gently, the ghost

of a smile lingering at his lips. It was okay

that his blank page was covered in so many

irrefutable words, things he could never take back.

That was fine. He never intended to. He would

wear them on his sleeve along with his heart.

Forever if that's what

it took.

Softly she smiled.

"Anyone who wouldn't want to be loved by you is a fool."

She murmured, her eyes meeting his for a brief second.

Then she turned and walked away.


End file.
